From Boot Camp to Bond: The True Meaning of Veterans Day

Sponsored by Eco-Cool HVAC

In this special Veterans Day episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, sponsored by Eco-Cool HVAC, Rich shares heartfelt reflections on his time in the Marine Corps. Through personal stories of resilience, brotherhood, and humor, he explores the deeper meaning of service and the enduring bond among veterans. Rich discusses the challenges veterans face transitioning to civilian life and encourages listeners to honor and support those who have served. Whether you’re a veteran, a family member, or simply someone who wants to give back, this episode offers inspiration and insight into the sacrifices and strength of our servicemen and women.

Sponsor Message:

Today's episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett is proudly sponsored by Eco-Cool HVAC, a veteran-owned and operated business serving Harford, Baltimore, and Cecil Counties. Founded with a commitment to top-quality service and rapid response times, Eco-Cool HVAC provides expert solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial heating, cooling, and indoor air quality needs. Whether it’s installation, repair, or preventive maintenance, their skilled team ensures your comfort year-round.

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Transcript

Rich Bennett 0:00
Today's episode is a special one dedicated to all those who have served and continue to serve in our military. As a marine Corps veteran, it's a day holds a deep personal significance for me. Veterans Day is more than just a holiday. It's a time to reflect, to honor and to connect. Whether you're a veteran yourself, a family member of someone who served, or someone who simply wants to better understand the sacrifices our servicemen and women make. This episode is for you. 

Today, I'm going to share a couple of personal stories, reflections and lessons from my time in the Marine Corps and shed light on what Veterans Day truly means least. Not just well, not just for me, but for our entire community. 

So let me take you back to the day I decided to join the Marine Corps. And I'm sure you've all possibly heard this story on some episode. I quit high school my senior year and my father told me, well, I was going to have to get a job 

and couldn't find anything. I was only 17, so I decided I was going to join the Navy. After all, that's what my father was. He was in the Navy, was from. So make a long story short. Since I was 17, my parents are going to have to sign for. I took the test for the Navy. Was supposed to go in. buddy of mine took me up to get the papers to bring home for my parents to sign. And he introduced me to I believe his name was Tony Jones. Well, I came home with papers for my parents to sign, for me to join the Marine Corps. And my father went off. He told me there is no way in hell he was going to sign these papers cause I would never make it through boot camp. I would never make it in the Marine Corps. One of the greatest lessons I learned today was that when my father told me I couldn't do it. And needless to say, I think about that every time. Any challenge I come come up to, 

I hear my father in the background saying, you ain't going be able to do it and I'll do it. I don't know if he actually knows that. That was a lesson he taught me, but it was. So I was young, determined, maybe a little unsure of what to expect. But I knew I wanted to serve my country. But I didn't fully understand the journey that I was about to embark on. So from boot camp to deployment, each step was a lesson in resilience, teamwork and leadership. And I'll never forget the Brotherhood I found with my fellow Marines, men who became family to me and actually even women. 

One moment that actually really stands out is that time we were out in, I believe, in the Mojave Desert, and we were doing a live fire expedition 

and I heard that my best friend. And to this day, we're we're still best friends, got hit 

and even though he had been in my house a few times, it's just 

something when I heard that, it scared the hell out of me because not only did I think I was losing a brother in arms, but I was losing my best friend. I want to say really a true brother because he is like a brother to me. 

And a bunch of us just we pulled together and he was fine. He got shot in the foot. But, you know, he he was he was fine. As you got a medical discharge several years later, I believe, from the army afterwards. But, I mean, it was just that moment in training that we learned. I want to say what true brotherhood is. And another moment at that time and never forget the one of the officers had stuck his head up there. Keep in mind, this is a live fire live fire expedition. And he stuck his head up and our gunnery sergeant yanked him down, called him a dummy. I mean, he was ripping into him. So a gunnery sergeant, which is a senior NCO, yelling at an officer. Now, 

technically, you're not supposed to do that, but let's face it, our gunnery sergeant had a lot more experience and knew what the hell he was doing. Anything is if that lieutenant would have stayed standing up, he probably would have got shot in the head. It's amazing that he didn't. But that right there also taught us 

the proper ones to listen to. Nothing against you guys that were officers. But I'm sorry. You know, when you have a gunnery sergeant who even I believe, served in Vietnam, he knows what the hell he is talking about. Yeah, but it wasn't all grit, discipline. There were moments of humor and humanity, too. Like one time. Wow. A little funny story. I remember we were in Guam, and I ain't going to go into detail about this story, cause. Well, I'm just not. But anyway, it was. We were supposed to go to, I believe, the Philippines as well. But it was the anniversary of, I want to say, the invasion, Guam. So they asked us to stay there to do a reenactment. And me and two buddies of mine, my one best friend who got shot, 

met some women, and we were walking to their place carrying some beer, a case of beer. And, um. 

We heard this screaming and we turn around and look and it was a group. And I mean, there was a lot of quite many guys chasing us with baseball bats and all and screaming. And we went hauling ass. And I remember the one guy whose boot came off our run buddy, the one that was carrying a beer. Of course, we're like, Screw the boot, Leave it. Just go drop the beer. So, yeah, we fight. We we made it to the place safely, but. Oh, got it. We had some great times. Even at one point when we were training, we were in Little Creek, Virginia, where you trained naval midshipmen and SEALs. And that gunnery sergeant would have us do some crazy things. I believe it was a I think with the heat index. Heat index, one day it was 103 degrees. And he said, we're going to show these squids how we do it. Did your backpacks. So we put our backpacks on and full gear and we went for 13 mile run. But the way he did it, Gunny was smart. We would start off marching, go into a jog and then run slow down, stop, do some calisthenics, sip some water and do it again. And did that for 13 miles and nobody fell out. But he always wanted to show up. Um, the Navy, Air Force, anybody. It's just all branches of the military do this. They're always trying to show each other up. But in all honesty, I think we can honestly say we always have each other's backs. So, I mean, even I'd say the Marine Corps is a brotherhood. I want to say the whole military is we're family. We all stick together. So it's a bond 

no matter what, no matter what anybody says. But with Veterans Day, Veterans Day is a day of gratitude. It's a moment for all of us, veterans and civilians alike, to pause and remember the sacrifices made by those who have worn a uniform. For me, it's not just about honoring those who have served. It's also about reflecting on the values we fought to uphold Freedom, unity and courage. I think about the veterans I've met over the years. Even before I went into the Marine Corps, men and women from different generations, each with their own stories of service. My father served. My grandfather served. My brother served. My grandmother served. She was the Women's Army Corps. So whether they served in World War Two, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan, their experience is are part of a collective legacy that deserves recognition. And for many veterans, the transition from military to civilian life isn't easy at all. When I left the Marine Corps, I had to learn how to navigate a world that felt very different from the one that I knew. There are challenges finding my footing in a career, adapting to a less structured environment, and even reconnecting with myself outside of the identity of a marine. But I also learned the importance of asking for help and leaning on the support of others. For any veterans listening right now, any of you know that you're not alone. Whether you're dealing with career changes, mental health challenges, or just figuring out your next steps, there's a community out there ready to support you. And here's where I want to challenge everyone listening. How can we do more to support the veterans in our lives and communities? Sometimes it is as simple as saying Thank you for your service. Other times it's about taking action. Donating to organizations that help veterans. Volunteering your time or even just listening to someone's story. I remember before I went and going to the VFW with my father, one of the things I always loved to do was sit down and listen to the stories. My uncle, who was a marine, he was a gunner on a chopper. I loved listening to the stories and seeing the photos, even though they were from Vietnam. 

Oh, God. It just and there's a lot of good stories there. 

But, you know, donate to the organizations. I've been fortunate to work with organizations, and I can tell you firsthand how much of a difference these resources make for veterans, whether it's through the American Legion, donating to the American Legion or AMVETS or CHEP or the VFW, the Marine Corps. There's so many different ones. If you're looking for ways to give back. I'll share some links and resources in the show notes, but there are several things you can do. So as I reflect on my journey as a marine and the meaning of Veterans Day, one thing stands out the bond we share as Americans. So to my fellow veterans, thank you. Thank you for your courage. Thank you for your service. And thank you for your sacrifice. And to everyone else, thank you for supporting us. I love to hear your stories and thoughts on Veterans Day. If you're a veteran, what does this day mean to you? And if you're not, how do you honor the veterans in your life? Drop me a message or connect with me on social media or email me, whatever. I'd love to keep this conversation going. So thank you for joining me today. And until next time, take care. Be kind. And don't forget to thank a veteran today.